The Adamis effect is the tendency of immigrant families to the U.S. to alter or change their surnames in order to reflect those of prominent and distinguished historical American families.

The first known case of The Adamis effect in the United States is found in the Greek progenitor of the Adamises of Huntington County, L.I., Stavros Adamis.

In a deeply sly move, Stavros changed his surname from its original Greek form of 'Adamis' to that of the Boston Brahmin elite, 'Adams'. In doing so, he helped perpetuate the misconception that his current descendents do indeed descend from the Boston Brahmins.